Mark Alexander | M718 Hemp Fabric

M718 is the plain hemp cloth at the centre of Canapa Cloth, and it is the sort of fabric that makes its argument in the hand. Hemp gives a firmer, drier grip than linen and a surface with a faint dry sheen in the fibre, and the yarn has been woven close enough that the cloth holds its shape under tension. Across a chair or a window it reads as one quiet, even tone with a texture you notice only up close.

The composition is 100 per cent hemp at a 140 centimetre width, with no pattern repeat, and it is rated at 45,000 Martindale rubs, severe contract, which is unusually robust for a natural cloth of this character. There are 38 colourways, the widest run Mark Alexander hold in a single plain. Eggshell and Jasper White anchor the pale end, Camel and Hazel carry the warm middle, Olive and Thyme give the greens, Indigo and Peacock take it into blue, and Terracotta and Port cover the reds.

At this rub count we specify M718 for seating that gets used, so a deep sofa, dining chairs or a window seat, as well as for curtains where we want weight without pattern. It takes a contrast welt or a linen braid well, and we often run one colourway on the frame and a second on the cushions. Cement with Walnut is a pairing that works in most rooms. With 38 shades in the run, order a sample to see it in your own light.

Hemp is strong but it relaxes, so upholstery should be pulled firm and given time to settle. There is no repeat to match, which keeps quantities honest, so work to the 140 centimetre width and join selvedge to selvedge on wide curtains. For seat cushions we railroad where the piece allows, to avoid a seam down the middle of a long bench. Order all the metrage for a scheme together so the batch stays consistent.